Liverpool have earmarked Real Madrid winger Rodrygo as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah when he departs the club, according to Ekrem Konur.
Despite being a first-team regular last season, consistent playing time became difficult to secure, as former coach Xabi Alonso preferred an attacking pair of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappé.
His lack of playing time was not helped by a poor run of form and a goalscoring drought. Before Alonso’s sacking, Rodrygo had gone on a 32-game stretch without scoring before finally finding the net against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League, marking his fifth goal in nine games against Pep Guardiola’s side.
Since then, he has gone on to score two more goals and provide six assists across all competitions.
Much like Alonso, the new interim boss, Álvaro Arbeloa, still prefers Vinicius and Mbappé up front, leading to growing speculations about his importance to the team.
An update on his situation has now been clarified by football journalist Ekrem Konur, who claims that Rodrygo’s future at the Santiago Bernabéu is uncertain ahead of the summer transfer window, with several clubs now showing interest.
According to Konur, Liverpool are among the clubs expressing interest in signing the Brazilian international winger next summer.
Audacious swoop
With Mohamed Salah tipped to depart, the report adds that the Reds have earmarked the 25-year-old as a possible replacement for the Egyptian when he leaves.
However, aside from the possibility of Madrid demanding a fee higher than his £52m Transfermarkt valuation, the Merseyside club will also have to ward off stern competition from several clubs, with Konur reporting that Inter Milan, Al-Hilal, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested in the winger.
Rodrygo has earned a reputation for his performances on the biggest stages in Europe. The former Santos wonderkid has played an instrumental role in all Madrid’s titles in recent years, including two UEFA Champions Leagues, three LaLiga titles, two UEFA Super Cups, three Spanish Super Cups, one Copa del Rey and one FIFA Club World Cup.
That level of trophy-laden pedigree, along with 128 goal contributions, makes him a strong fit for Liverpool’s right wing, bringing experience and a world-class attacker with a consistent goal threat to Arne Slot’s front line, should they complete a move for the Brazilian.
